Electric time-switch for beacons.



PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907.

R. P. NELMS. ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH FOR BEAGO APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1906.

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PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907 R. P. NBLMS.

ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH FOR BEAUGNS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, mos.

11% tn amen I UNITED STAT S PATENT oF-Fron.

ELECTRIC. TIME-SWITCH FOR BEAooNs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. e, 1907.

' Application filed March 20,1906. Serial No. 307,125

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT PERRY NELMS, a citizenl of the" United States, residing at Jacksonville, in the county of Duval and Stateof Florida, have invented new'and useful improvements in Electric Time-Switches for Beacons, of which the following is a spec-i fication. v

My invention relates to improvements in beacons, the purpose being to provide means whereby an electric lamp may be placed. in circuit with a battery during the hours'of darkness,'the circuit bein broken during the hours of dayli,;ht, also to provide time-indicatin means which co operates with the circuit maker and breaker. e

-l.he invention' includes in'combination a time-keeping mechanism or clocli movem ent in which the hand'makes a single revolution fover adial in twenty-tour hours, the handcarrying spindle havin; fast thereon an electrode or an element of a circuit maker and breaker, the power-driven shaftof the time mechanism being connected by a clutch with a wei -ht-actuated or driven drum, so that the spring of the time mechanism willbe kept at a constant tension.-

The invention also includes an adjustable electrode that may be set to vary the len ijth of time that the circuit is closed to vary the time that the lamp will be lighted to accord with .thehours of darkness and li ,;;ht.*

The invention also "CODSISlJS in the particular construction and combination of parts,

,as will be hereinafter set forth, and; pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 isa side elevation, partly in section, of a beacon made in accord with my invention; Fig. 2 is a detail front elevationof the dial, the circuit maker and breaker being shown by dot ted lines. F i;;. 3 is a vertical section online as m of Fig. 4; and Fig. 4 is a vertical section, being taken at ri -ht an ;les to Fig. 3.

The frame or support A. for the lamp and time mechanism may be of any suitable construction and carries a vertical tube a, in

' positioned.

whiclnthe wei ht of the time mechanism is The frame is also provided with a hollow support a for the casing of the time mechanism and with supports for a box that contains a storage battery.

The hollow support or tube a maintains a OfiSlIlg B, which has on one side a dial B,

from 1. to 24, representing hours, and over the dial moves'a hand or pointer B, that is moved by the time mechanism to make one revolution over the dial in twentyfour hours. The time mechanism is inclosed in a suitablc'casing, such casing 0 being secured in the box B. The time mechanism includes a spindlea'to which the hand B is attached, as well as a winding-shaft c and shaft 0, to which is secured one end of the drivin yspring c of the usual type, as indicated by dotted lines on Fi 4, the time mechanism, and in practice the shaft 0' is connected by a suitable clutch (Z with a driven shaft 11, the pinion thereon being en-' with a pawl e for en a 'ement with a ratchet attached .to a drum E, such drum being driven by a cord 6, to which a weight is attached. The drum, gears, andweight are so proportioned in relation to the spring .of the pared by the gear-wheel e, that is provided time mechanism that such sprin will be.

kept wo'und when the tension of the spring by reason of unwinding in driving the timetrain becomes less than normal, and by such arrangement the time mechanism may, be better regulated and is kept wound as long as the wei, ht tends to turn the drum, and there.

: is no tendency to retard the movement of the time mechanism whenbeing wound.

The spindle or shalt- 0 between the dial and p the casing for the time mechanism carries a sleeve F of non-condu-cting material, and electrically comiected with an electrode G, that is carried by the sleeve F, is a wire h,

which extends to an electric lamp 1, another wire h extending from the lamp to the stor age batterv K. The electrode G comprises a part that is fixedly attached to the sleeve F and is electrically connected with the wire h, and this fixed part carries adjustable end members 9 9, there being present loops or eyes which maintain the parts. of the electrode in sliding and electric com'iection. T; adjustable electrode provides means whet by the duration of the contact of the electrode with the medium used to complete the IOO circuit may be varied to accord with the hours of darkness or the time that it is desired that thelamp should be lighted and extinguished.

Beneath the spindle c is a receptacle L, made of non-conducting material, such receptacle having clian'ibers in which is placed Which is suitably subdivided and marked 1 mercury or quicksilver, the chambers being concave, so that the expansion and contraction of the mercuryunder varying tem eratures will not materially heighten or ower the level of the mercury in such chambers, and to the receptacle so as to enter the chambers are strips'of metal m, preferably platlnum, such strips being electrically connected to a wire it, that is connected to the battery K. A wire it connects the battery with the lamp or series of incandescent lamps I, and as long as the electrode G is in the mercury the circuit will be com 'lete and a visible sig-. nal for the beacon wil be provided, When the electrode is carried by the'time mechanism out of the mercury the circuit will be broken and the lamps will be extinguished. The time mechanism, including the pointer and the dial, provides for indicating the position ofthe electrode and the duration of the 20 circuit.

'The construction and arrangement of the see mercury in the receptacle therefor; the lamp and a stora e battery, substantially as shown. 2. In a evice of the" character described,

oluble pointer, a two-part electrode mounted on the shaft of the time mechanism that carries the pointer, one member of the electrode being maintained in slidable engagement with the other member, a receptacle for mercury maintained in the electrode, and connections between the electrode; a lamp, a battery and mercury when placed in the receptacle, for'the purpose set forth. y

3. In a device of the character set forth, time mechanism having a driven shaft that carries a pointer .or hand, an electrode and contact-points attached to the shaft and inl time mechanism having a fixed dial and a rev- Y path of the sulated therefrom, the electrode carried by the shaft havin a part that is concentric to the axis of the s aft, means for increasing or mechanism provides a beacon which will periodicallybe lighted and extinguished, and i the duration during which the lamp will continue to burn may bevaried to accord with .the season of the year, and in practice it is 'I proposed to provide a battery, lamps, and

clock-winding mechanismwhich will operate I unattended for several months, as the electrode need only be adjusted to change the I length of contact to accord with the seasons of the year. Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1. In a device of the character set forth, time mechanismhaving the usual means for driving the same. supplemental means for I -winding the driving-means when its power falls below normal, a shaft having thereon a pointer such shaft being driven by the time mechanism, an electrode on the shaft to move in unison with t e pointer, an adjustable member attached to the fixed member of the electrode and movable therewith, a receptacle for mercury into which the electrode passes to complete a circuit and electric connections between the electrode; the l diminishing the length of the concentric portron of the electrode, a receptacle having a concave chamber for mercury, and means for electricall connecting the movable electrode with a amp, a battery and with mercury placed in the receptacle, for the purpose set forth.

4. In a device of the character set forth,

a time-tra1n ofgears having means for driv-" ing a shaft which carries a pointer one revolution in'twenty-four hours, means for maintaining 'the driving element of such timetrain at a constant tension, an electrode carried by the shaft having thereon the ointer .and insulated therefrom; the electro e having a member that is maintained in slidable engagementwith the fixed member of the electrode to change the duration of anelectric circuit, a chamber adapted to contain mercury located in the path of the electrode, electric connections between the electrode; a

lamp a batteryand mercury when placed in the receptacle, substantially as shown.

ROBERT PERRY N ELMS.

Witnesses:

ELIZABETH STETsoN,

CHAS. W. KINNE. 

